Kurnool: A potential tragedy was narrowly averted early on Friday morning when a mini goods lorry got stuck in a damaged drain at the busy Pula Bazar (Flower Bazaar) Junction, a wholesale and retail trade hub in the Kurnool city.

The incident occurred at around 7 am when the iron cover over a culvert gave way, causing the lorry to sink partially into the drain. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. The culvert cover had reportedly weakened due to prolonged neglect, raising serious concerns about civic safety in high-traffic areas.

Representatives from various civic and workers’ associations, including Vasu (Transport Sector), Irigineni Pulla Reddy (Town Citizens Welfare Association), Balakrishna (Rickshaw Workers‘ Union), and Bala Tirupaiah (Auto Union), visited the site and condemned the lack of response from municipal authorities.

A team from the People‘s Public Safety Society (PPSS) conducted a survey of the Old City, including Urban Bank and Chand Talkies areas, before arriving at the junction. They expressed grave concern over repeated incidents of poorly maintained iron drain covers, which are leading to accidents across the city.

Speaking to the media, the PPSS team criticised the Kurnool Municipal Corporation for spending lakhs of rupees annually on iron covers and cement repairs that fail within months. They alleged that substandard materials and unmonitored construction are contributing to the early deterioration of the infrastructure. Alarmingly, similar faulty construction was reported even near the Municipal Commissioner’s official residence. The team accused civic engineers of turning a blind eye, allowing contractors to assume full control without proper oversight.

The delegation demanded immediate intervention from the Municipal Commissioner. They called for a comprehensive city-wide inspection, urgent replacement of all weakened or missing iron covers, and strict action against contractors responsible for poor-quality work.

They also urged the Corporation to implement safeguards to protect public assets from theft and misuse. Among those who took part in the inspection were Mohammad Yunus, Sheikh Shakir, and T. Ramu.